Zero o’clock

We’re here. 6000+ miles, 15+ hours in flight and a snaffu in finding our driver — but we made it to the GLAD hotel in Seoul, South Korea!

South. Korea!

It’s been a long time coming and the planning stage was a beast but now we get to enjoy two weeks here in the Land of Morning Calm. A seemingly homogeneous land where VERY few look like either one of us two! This is going to be interesting. So far, even though we know we’re different it feels like it’s the cultural things that are singling us out and not necessarily the color of our skin. Nia keeps laughing at me this evening at the airport— we were going through all the protocols, showing papers when an officer asked if I had a printed Q -code (which I did) There were two lines for the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’ and the officer appeared to shoo me away with two hands to the ‘have not’ line. So off I went…except he was looking at me as he had no idea where I was going. So now I attempt to go back to him and he starts to shoo me away again! Dude, which is it?!! Nia’s telling me, “mama — he’s telling to to come!” Turns out, the way in which we might beckon someone to come forward, with palm up and gesturing with fingers is used to animals in Korea and not people! His way of beckoning, two hands with palms down is the way to go…even if it looks like you want someone to leave! So now I know.

But regardless, so far, so good. We’re loving the immaculate airport with it’s fancy hotel-like restrooms, the 3D billboards of Gangnam, the apparent safety outside at night, the vibrancy all around us and the snacks! There’s so much more I could write, but after being awake for so long, I need to finally sleep the night in a real bed. It’s almost 0:00 o’clock and after leaving yesterday morning, it’s what’s needed for an early start tomorrow! Czytaj więcej